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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT G. I. DORSEY, OF OLARKSBURG, INDIANA.

CLCTHES-LINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,705, dated February 23,1886.

' Application filed April 10, 1885. Serial No. l6l,P:l0. (ModeL) T0 on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. P. DORSEY, of Olarksburg, in the county of Decatur and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Clothes-Line, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the compensating-weight removed from the clothesline.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a post or other stationary object, provided with the pulley 13, over which the clothes-line 0 passes. The clothes-line C is, by preference, of wire and endless, and, besides passing over the pulley B, passes also over the pulleys D and E, the former of which is made fast upon the crank-shaft F, journaled in the parallel uprights G G. The latter, E, is journaled at the outer end of the horizontal or nearly horizontal arm H, attached to the upper ends of the said uprights G G. The uprights G G are pivoted to the flanges T, attached to the footpiece or plate J, that may be made fast to the tloor of the laundry-room. A lever, K, is also pivoted to the flanges T, and this lever is connected to the uprights G by the link or connectingrod L. for forcing the uprights G backward for drawing the line C taut, and the lever K is provided with the pivoted leg or brace-piece M, for bracing back the uprights G (through the lever K and connectingrod L) for holding the line taut. To the upper ends of the uprights G is pivoted the bar 0, to the outer end of which is pivoted the bar N,,which in turn is pivoted to the pointed gathering'arm P, for taking the clothes off from the line 0 when the crank F is turned to move the line in the direction of the arrow. The arm I? has the opening a formed in it for the passage of the line 0, so that the point of the arm 1 stands below the upper portion of the line, as shown in Fig. 1. To the upper side of the arm P is secured the strong wire or rod Q, for gathering the clothes-pins p at the time of taking in the clothes.

In use, to hang out the clothes the same are placed, piece by piece, upon the upper portion of the line 0 and secured by the clothes pins 1). As each piece is secured, the crank F will be turned to move the line opposite to the arrow. Then the line is half full, or when the upper portion of the line begins to sag under the weight of the clothes, the weight R will be run out upon the lower portion of the line, the weight of which counterbalances the weight of the clothes and prevents the upper portion of the line from sagging materially. The clotheshaving been in this manner all hung out, after they have become dry, to take them in it is only necessary to turn the crank F in the opposite direction, which will cause the clothespins first to be detached from the line and strung upon the rod or wire Q. Then the clot-hes will gather in a bunch upon the arm 1?, from which they may be taken from time to time. The weight It is slotted at r, so that when the clothes are all placed upon the line the weight may be turned upside down and the upper portion of the line placed in the slot 1', so as to attach the upper and lower portions of the line together to make the whole more rigid and to prevent sagging.

It is designed to place the plate J within the laundryroom and the post A in the yard, so i that the clothes may both be hung out and taken in without going out of doors.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the uprights G, of the gathering arm P, pivotally connected to the upright and the line, as and for the purposes described.

2. The uprights G, having the arm P connected to it by connecting-pieces N O, in combination with the line 0, means for supporting the outer end of the line, pulleys E D, and crank-shaft F, the arm 1? having the passage a formed in it, substantially as described.

3. The comhination,with the gathering-arm I and the line C, of the rod Q, for gathering the clothes-pins, substantially as described.

ALBERT G. I. DORSET.

Witnesses:

WM. CHRISTIAN, PLUMMER Donsm'.

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